Google and NASA to develop robotic medical assistant for space missions
The autonomous system will support astronauts during deep-space expeditions to the Moon and Mars.
Google and NASA are collaborating to create an autonomous robotic medical assistant to support astronauts during deep-space expeditions. According to The Times of India, the project aims to assist with health emergencies and routine operational tasks as NASA's Artemis program progresses toward the Moon and Mars.
The system is designed to provide healthcare when communication delays with Earth make real-time guidance impossible. Jim Kelly, vice president of Google’s public sector division, said an astronaut on a mission to Mars could face round-trip communication latencies of up to 44 minutes.
Beyond medical duties, the robot is intended to handle logistics such as equipment transport, hardware maintenance, and inventory management. This is intended to reduce the physical workload on astronauts so they can focus on scientific discovery.
The initiative builds on the Crew Medical Officer Digital Assistant, an artificial intelligence platform that the two organisations began evaluating in 2025. The project involves Google Cloud, NASA’s Human Research Program, the Johnson Space Center robotics division, and the Jet Propulsion Laboratory.
The technology is currently in an experimental phase. Recent laboratory tests have focused on verifying basic movement and general utility, while engineers noted that achieving full medical autonomy in microgravity remains a long-term goal.